Overshoe



vMarch 5, 192.9. 'Y

K. L. VALENTINE ET AL ovERsHoE Filed April 2l, 1927 2 sheets-sheet 1 March 5# y1929. K. L. VALENTINE `l't AL OVERSHOE Filed April 2l. 192'?y '2 Sheets-Sheet 2' I l, 50M/*yn @3x3 e Patented Mar. 5, 1929.

1,704,688 oFFicE.

RATHRYN L', VALENTINE A'Nn GEORGE RAMSEY, or JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

OVERSHOE.

Application mea April 21, 1927-. serial No. 185,389.

Our invention relates to overshoes.

Our invention includes means to make overshoes readily attachable to the foot. In place of the troublesome snaps, buckles, slide fasteners or other devices at present used to attach foot coverings to feet, we so construct the top portion of our foot covering that it may readily expand, and insert elastic metallic means in the periphery thereof to causecontraction thereof and yieldable to permit expansion thereof for insertion of the foot, the elastic metallic means preferably being limitedin its stretching movement to less than its elastic movement by the inelastic extended top. While we are aware that others have attempted to make portions of an overshoe elastic, the present day practice of the manufacturing of overshoes normally includes a vulcanizing process after the parts of the overshoe have been put together and the heat employed in the vulcanizing process normally tends to destroy the elasticity of the elastic means formerly employed. IVe have discovered that by usingl an expansible metallic means such as a concealed metallic spring, the overshoe may be heated up to y.the temperature necessary in vulcanizing witho-ut impairing the resiliency of the elastic metallic means.v

This invention is an impro-vement on ourl application for patent for overshoe Serial No. 17 5,854, filed Mar. 16, 1927. Instead of thef specific embodiment of our invention shown therein, wherein the expansible means completely encircles the'foot or leg, in our present embodiment we preferably construct a portion of the periphery of the top portlon of a non-expansible portion adapted to snugly fit the foot and the rest of thefperiph-l 40 very thereof vof an. expansible portion of great-er width than necessary to compactly fit the foot, adapted to be crinkled when attached to the foot and retained in crinkled position eompactly binding the top of the foot by resilient metallic means connected to adjacent sides of said inelastic portion and extending across said expansible portion. -In the preferred embodiment shown, We preferably employ a plurality of expansible metallic means extending horizontally at spaced intervals acro-ss said expansible portion or portions. In our preferred embodiment, we also preferably conceal the elastic metallic means between the lining and outer covering thereof. `We preferably employ a spring which when in contracted posi'- tion will not bind the foot so as to impair circulation and we have found a coil spring, which due to its inherent construction performs this function, an ideal means to employ. We also preferably limit the stretchlng movement of the elastic metallic means to less t 1an its elastic limit by the extended i width of the expansible portion of the top or otherwise such as by a cordjf In our preferred embodiment we preferably. make the expansible portions of our overshoe by inserting expansible Vrshaped gussets in each side thereof and preferably provide a plurality of coil springs extending horizontally at spaced intervals across said gussets. It is thus apparent that in order to insert the foot it is merely necessary to pull radially outwards on the top, permitting the top to expand to permit the foot to 'be inserted through the mouth and then to permit the elastic metallic means to contract to firmly retain the top to the foot and lower yportio'nof the leg. In order to take ofi' an overshoe equipped with our invention, it is merely necessary to press down onthe heel thereof with the other foot and the elastic metallic means will expand, permitting the foot to be withdrawn through the expanded mouth, an operation similarto that of the present day practice of taking off a rubber.

These and such other objects of our invention as may hereinafter appear will he best understood from a description of embodiments thereof such as are shown in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the preferred embodiment of our invention which has V-shaped expansible gussets inserted in the periphery of the top at each side thereof with the top contracted in attached position on theleg of the wearer.

F'g. 2 is a perspective view similarto Fig. l

i tion 17.

mouth 18 for the leg in the upper end thereof. We preferably construct the top portion 12 of an inelastic portion 15 adapted to snugly and evenly tit the foot and an expansible portion of greater width than necessary for a tight fit inserted in the periphery' thereof. In the preferred embodiment Shown in Figs. 1-5 the inelastic portion 15 comprises the rear portion 16 of the top and the separate front portion 14. In the embodiment shown 1n Fig. 6 the non-expansible portion comprises the front portion 14 and the embodiment.

shown in Fig. 7 the non-eXpansible portion comprises the back portion 16. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 5 the expansible .portion 17 comprises the connecting portions or gussets 18 preferably V-shaped inserted at each side of said overshoe between said front and back portions adapted to be crinkled when closely attached to the inserted foot and leg. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 6 the expansible portion 17 comprises the back portion 16 and in the embodiment shown in Fig. 7 the expansible portion 17 comprises the front portion 14. In our preferred embodiment the entire top functions in its opening and closing movement somewhat similar to a bellows.

It is thus apparent that after the top portion 12 is constructed'as shown, it will be expansible and when in closed position on the foot will assume the position shown in Fig. 1 and when in open position for insertion or removal of the foot will assume the expanded position shown in Fig. 2. To normally retain the top 12 in closed position when attached to the foot and to firmly retain the overshoe to the foot, we preferably provide the eXpansible metallic means 2O in the periphery thereof having the ends 21 thereof attached to the sides of said inelastic portion 15 adjacent the expansible portion 17 thereof and extending across the expansible por- The tendency of the resilient metallic means 20 to contract causesI said top 12 when closed to yieldingly retain the overshoe to the foot. As the metallic means 2O is elastic, however, it may readily expand to permit the top 12 to assume the position shown in Fig. 2 for insertion or removal of the foot. Though any suitable type of elastic metallic means may be employed, we prefer? ably provide a type which is limited 1n its contracting movement and we have found coil springs particularly suitablel for this purpose. We, therefore, as our preferred type of elastic metallic means, employ the coil spring 26 as shown in Fig. 4, extending across said expansible portion 17 and havingv each end 21 thereof attached to adjacent portions of the inelastic portion 15. We also preferably so construct the width of the eXpansible portion 17 and select springs 2O of the desired- A elastic limit, such as the cord 25 inserted witht in the spiral spring 20. Though, as shown in Fig. 3, in a short type of overshoe, we may only employ one elastic metallic means eX- tending across each expansible portion 17, in our preferred embodiment we preferably employ a plurality thereof extending horiontally at spaced intervals across said expansible portions 17, preferably from the top to the bottom of said top portion 12.

A top portion of an overshoe normally in cludes both the inner lining 28 and the outer covering 30 which in practice are cemented together by the cement 29 and as shown herein we preferably attach said resilient means between said outer covering 30 and inner lining 28 so as to be completely concealed from view. In order that said springs 20 may freely eXpand.- and contract between said outer covering 30 and lining 28, we loosely y enclose them in any suitable means such as the tubes 31 preferably constructed of tape inserted between said covering 30 and lining 28 and in practice having the outer surfaces thereof cemented thereto.

In practice the operation'of the preceding paragraph may be accomplished as follows: before the outer covering 30 and inner lining `28 are cut in pieces to the shoe dimensions they are suitably covered with a rubber cement suitable for vulcanizing by calendering a layer thereof thereon. Vhen these are made up into a shoe the shoe is formed so as to make these rubberized surfaces adjacent, viz: with the rubberized surface of the outer 'covering 30 being on the inside thereof and the rubberized surface of the inner covering 28 being on the outside thereof. The rubberized inserts are then securedl to the inelastic front and rear portions of the shoe by vulcanization, this/step forming a bond between the inserts and the remaining portions of the overshoe. If desired, the tubular covering means 31 may be merely inserted between these two rubberized surfaces prior to vulcanization but `we preferably either brush, paint or otherwise affix a layer of additional cement around the tubes 3l before insertion between the lining 28'and covering 30, so as to provide more cement to aid in bindingA the tubes 31 thereto. vWhen the entire shoe has been subj ected to the vulcanizing treatment the tubes 31 will be uniformly cemented. to the inner lining 28 and the outer covering 30 by the cement 29 shown in Figure 5. As the springs are inserted in the tubes 31 prior to their insertion between the outer covering 30 and inner lining 28 in the manufacture ofthe v shoe, it is obvious that they will be loosely contained within the tubes 32 and free to eX- pand or contract therein. As stated we prefer to employ the resilient metallic springs ,in order to provide an elastic means which will withstand the high heating treatment of the vulcanization.

to the foot and have eliminated the troublesome snaps, slidel fasteners, buckles or other types of devices formerly employed to se- Cil cure the overshoe thereto. To-attach, it is merely necessaryto pull out radially on the top portion 12, the elastic metallic members 2O readily expanding to their eXtreme position shown in Fig. 2 and the expansible portions 17 expanding to extended inelastic posi tion when the foot may be readily inserted or withdrawn from the overshoe. After the foot is inserted, it is obvious that the springs 2() will contract to cause the'entire top 12 to contract to firmly retain the overshoe to the foot, the expansible portions then assuming a vcrinkled position as shown in Fig. 1. To detach, it is merely necessary to put the toe of the opposite foot against the heel and push down on the heel thereof When the elastic members 20 will expand, permitting the top 12 to open up to expanded position to permit l the overshoe to slide olf the foot. If desired, however, in taking 'off the overshoe the top may be pulled radially outwards 4for expansion as is normaly done in putting on the shoe.

Our invention is adapted for use in any type of overshoe such as galo'sh, legging, spat or otherwise, preferably one which is waterproof, and we therefore in the claims employ the word overshoe to mean any separate covering for the foot that would be worn over a shoe, pump, slipper or other normal type of foot covering, andwhen in this application we employ the words attached to the foot, etc. we refer to the foot as being covered vlith a suitable inner foot covering such as a s oe.

It is understood that our invention is not mented together, tubular means extending across said eXpansible portion of a Width substantially equal to that of said expansible portion andcemented to the inner covering and outer lining thereof, and elastic metallic means loosely contained within said tubular means attached to said inelastic portion adj acent said expansible portion to retain said portion contracted and permit expansion thereof. l

2. In an overshoe vof the class described, an inelastic upper portion, an elastic section in said upper portion, said section comprising. an inner insert, an outer insert and an intermediate layer of fabric between said inserts, p

said inserts being secured to said upper por-` tion, and elastic metallic means interposed between said intermediate layer and one of said inserts and sec-ured at its ends to said inelastic upper portion, the opposite side of l said layerbeing vulcanized to the other of said inserts.

3. In an overshoe of the-class described, an

inelastic upper portion, an elastic section in sald upper portion, sald section compr1s1ng an inner insert and an outer insert, said insaid inserts and secured at its ends to said inelastic portion, and means associated with said metallic means and secured to said in- Y elastic portion to limit the expansion of said elastic means to less than its elastic limit.

4. In an overshoe of the classl described, an inelastic upper portion, anv elastic section in said upper portion, said section comprising an inner insert and an outer insert, said insertsbeing secured to said inelastic portion, elastic metallic means having anormal length less than the expanded width-of said section, said metallic means being interposed between said inserts and secuied at its ends Vto said inelastic portion, and an inelastic cord contained within said elastic means to limit the expansion of said elastic means to less than its elastic limit.

In testimony whereof, we have signedv our names to .this specification this seventh and fifth day of April, 1927, respectively. 

